Leaving a LegacyWhat do you want to be

remembered for?

A leader is remembered not by what he or she possessed or consumed, not by how much power they had or whether they were charming or beautiful, but by the legacy they leave behind.

Fundamentals first

1. It is in the nature of extraordinary goals to inspire extraordinary effort.

2. It is in the nature of the ‘dream’ to be impractical.

Two Truths

3 – stories About real people

The first story is about a man who bought a train ticket for the First Class and got into the compartment. But as he was sitting there, a strange thing happened. The Guard came and threw him out of the compartment.

First Story

As the man picked himself up from the ground, a dream was born; the dream to set his people free from slavery.

But remember, the dream to set his nation free was born when the man could not even guarantee his own freedom.

Strange result

A very impractical dream.

A very extraordinary goal.

The second story is about another man who sat in a prison for 27 years. I have seen that prison. It is a prison on a rock in the middle of the ocean. A rock that is surrounded by the sea which has some of the largest sharks in the world.

Second Story

This man sat in that prison without any hope of ever escaping. A lot of the time in solitary confinement. And in that situation he had a dream.

The dream was to set his people free from the apartheid which enslaved them in their own land.

Chains are in the mind

Once again, a very impractical dream. A very

extraordinary goal.

The third story is about another man. This man, when he was young, had a sporting accident in which he lost the use of both his legs and his eyesight was also affected.

He was, since then confined to a wheelchair. Then what did he do?

Third Story

After he became a scholar, he went back to his people, where he became a refugee in his own land because the invaders and occupiers of his land destroyed his home along with the homes of thousands of others.

All his life there, he worked to help his people in their misery to bring some measure of relief to them through medical aid, social help, food, emotional support and by teaching them to fight for their rights.

He went to university

For this service, he was imprisoned for many years by the invaders and spent time in some of the most horrific prisons in the world. And all the while he had a dream; to set his people free and to have their land returned to them.

Then finally, at the age of 67, on March 22, 2004 while he was returning home from the morning prayers in the masjid, he was murdered by the invaders and joined the honorable list of martyrs.

Reward for service

Once again an impractical dream. An extraordinary goal which inspires extraordinary effort.

As we stand here today, there does not seem to be any chance of his dream ever

coming true.

What is your dream? What is your goal?

First Question to you is:

Perspective is the ability to hold two pictures in your mind: Where you are now and where you want to be. The positive tension between these two pictures will drive you to reach where you need to be.

Without perspective we are either stuck in the current reality and get frustrated or we have our heads in the clouds and no idea of how to realize what we want to achieve.

Perspective

We all start in the same place….as children. What does that mean? It means that at least initially, our condition depends on others who take care of us. So we get conditioned to look to them to ‘make us’ happy.

And when that does not happen, we blame them.

We all start the same way

This leads to the mental model: “Someone else is responsible for my welfare. My role is to feel good or bad about what the other person does. If I am happy, I laugh. If not, I sulk.”

Mental Models

Strangely, many people get stuck in this mental model even when they grow up physically and are in charge of their own affairs and have the power to do things for themselves. Because to grow up, means to take responsibility.

To take ownership for all that you say and do. For the effect of this on others and on the world. Not merely to accept accountability but to actively seek it. To stand up and say, “Here I am. You can count on me.”

Growing up

And if things go wrong, as sometimes they will, to say, “I am responsible for what has happened. Here is what I learnt from this. And this is how we will ensure this never happens again.” Most people fear this intensely.

If things go wrong?

So they are all ready to talk about freedom, but will not actually work to become free.

There is great safety and solace in slavery, in never growing up. In being a ‘child’ all your life. And you can see so many 50 and 60 year old children. There is much to fear in freedom.

Emotional Maturity is therefore not a factor of age of the body but the maturity of the mind.

Do you really want to be free?

This voluntary slavery of the mind is not only found in individuals but in organizations, societies and countries. Often among those that are very rich and powerful but helpless by their own choice and blame others for what happens to them.

They refuse to see that their happiness lies in their own hands. That they can be free of this mental bondage if they choose.

Chains make slavery safe

Do you really want to be free?

So my next question to you is:

1.  To care more than others think is wise

2. To risk more than others think is safe

3. To dream more than others think is practical

4. To expect more (from yourself) than others think is possible

Freedom’s 4 – choices

Are you ready to choose?My question to you is:

We all start as Idealists. Then life happens. Things happen where people let you down. Often the very people who you counted on to support you. People deceive and lie and cheat and sacrifice long term benefits for short term gains.

So as all these things happen, we get onto the slide and start sliding downwards.

On the slide – if you want

Idealist

Optimist

Realist

Pessimist

Cynic

Indifferent

And when people who have allowed themselves to be cynical and indifferent meet you who are an idealist, they are reminded of what they were like one day.

And they hate what they see in your eyes; they hate what they have chosen to do to themselves.

They see themselves

They believe that if they can make you shut up, then somehow all will be well. Because they are one of the many who believe this fallacy, that if one can make someone who speaks the truth to shut up; then one can remain comfortable in one’s falsehood.

They refuse to face the reality that the truth is the truth even if no one speaks it.

They try to shut you up

The thing to do therefore, if you want to light the lamps of other's idealism, is to ensure that your own lamp never goes dim.

The way to do that is never to lower your ideals in the name of expedience, or diplomacy or wisdom.

Keep your lamp alight

By all means use your wisdom and skill in putting across your ideals in as convincing and acceptable a way as you can, but never lower the standard.

For the standard is our only protection against the slide into mediocrity and oblivion.

Never lower the standard

IdealistOptimist

Realist

Pessimist

Cynic

Indifferent

Remember that no person or nation lives forever. But their thoughts, their goals, their ideals and what they stood for endures long after they have become dust.

That is what we stand for; ideals that have stood the test of time and which we carry forward to generations who will come, long after we have gone.

Nobody lives forever

1997 – White House

"I don't do this to change

them," he said, "I do this so that

they will not change me."

Much has happened since 1997 and history has been written in words of shame by the blood of innocents.

However there is one man somewhere who still believes in justice and mercy and that truth will eventually prevail over falsehood. 

That is his legacy.

History is written in blood

The legacy of a man whose name we don't know. But his story inspires others.

We need such people more than we need those who have the power and use it only for oppression.

Legacy of a nameless man

What are your ideals?

So the next question I ask you is:

“It made a difference to that one!”

What difference do you want to make?

My final question to you is:

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